


Slipping Into Midnight

by gwenwrites



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, diner au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-10
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-05-25 22:13:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6212209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwenwrites/pseuds/gwenwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He noticed a man sitting by the large front window, watching as the cars passed by. An uneaten sundae was sitting in front of him, and he wore a frown. He didn’t seem like someone who was sad often. Finn felt a frown tug at his own lips.<br/>“Go talk to him.” Rey urged.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slipping Into Midnight

“Thank God,” Finn muttered when he checked his phone. It was almost the end of his shift.

“Want to get Thai food when we’re done?” Rey asked him, her voice soft and sleepy. Her usually proper bun was messy, and dark circles rested under her eyes. When she suggested that they should get a job at the same place, Finn didn’t imagine they’d be working in an old fashioned diner around midnight. Still, it could be worse. At least his best friend was here to keep him company. 

“My bank account says no,” Finn sighed. “But my stomach says yes.” 

Rey gave him a proud grin. “I’m paying. When you were on break a woman gave me a forty dollar tip and complimented my smile.”  
He raised his eyebrows. “Did her number come with it?”

She rolled her eyes. “No. She looked like she was in business, probably too old for me anyways.” 

“But she could’ve paid off your student loans!” Finn shook his head. “Shame.”

“Maybe we won’t be getting Thai after all.” She stated, her face twisted in anger. Rey kept up the act for a second before it dissolved into a laugh. Finn grinned and turned away. Even though the restaurant was nearly empty, he still had a job to do.   
He noticed a man sitting by the large front window, watching as the cars passed by. An uneaten sundae was sitting in front of him, and he wore a frown. He didn’t seem like someone who was sad often. Finn felt a frown tug at his own lips. 

“Go talk to him.” Rey urged. 

Finn shook his head. “What if he doesn’t want to be bothered?”  
“He looks like he needs to be cheered up. C’mon, go!” She gave him a small shove with her shoulder. 

“Alright, Alright.” He winced. Rey was much stronger than she looked, or even realized. 

“Well, go on.” 

In fear of another attack, he stepped towards the man’s lonely table. Finn took a deep breath and smiled. He told himself he was doing this because of Rey, but he felt his heart flutter when he took another step.  
Closer up, he could tell that the stranger was attractive. Finn felt like rushing away, but it was far too late now. 

“Hi.” He started. “Would you like anything else?” The man looked up at him. Finn internally cringed. Just waiting on someone's table wasn’t really helping them. 

“No, I’m alright,” The man said. “But thank you.”

“Seems like you’re not having a great night.”

“Yeah,” The man replied. “It seems like I’ve been stood up.”

“Someone stood you up?” Finn was shocked. “They must be out of their mind.”

A genuine smile replaced the man’s fake one. “You think?”

“Yeah.” Finn decided. 

“Now that I’m thinking about it, he was really pretentious. Kept on going on about some book he’s been writing for three years on our previous date.”

“Sounds like most of the people at Columbia.” Finn sighed.

“Really, it’s most of the people in New York.” He said. “I’m Poe, by the way.”

“I’m Finn.” The waiter responded. “And I’ll be right back.” He rushed behind the counter, and into the diner’s kitchen. Rey was waiting for him.

“He’s queer,” Finn told her. “And got stood up by a hipster.”

“Perfect,” She replied. “I had Mr. Kenobi make your favorite.” Rey gestured to a plate on the stainless steel counter. A chocolate chip skillet cookie was topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce. He already wanted to devour the entire thing.

“Go share it with him.” Rey stated. “Get his number, or give him yours.” 

“No,” He scoffed. “that’s too forward. We just met, we can’t share it.” 

Rey rolled her eyes and picked up the dessert. “You’re comforting him. Now go.” She pushed the plate into Finn’s hands, and sent him back out of the kitchen. 

“I’m back.” Finn placed the cookie in front of Poe, and sat down in the chair opposite of him. 

“This is for me?” Poe asked, eyes wide.

“Well, we’re sharing.” Finn smiled and picked up a fork. “If you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” 

They shared and talked in intervals. Finn explained that he wanted to become a therapist, and Poe talked about his work in production design. Soon enough the dessert was only crumbs, and they were chatting about a customer Finn served earlier that night.  
“This guy had shoulder length black hair, that he obviously obsessed over. He was wearing skinny jeans and a black sweater, and I’m pretty sure he had eyeliner on, too.”

“Sounds like a typical 20-something that doesn’t know who he is.”

“That’s what he seemed like.” Finn agreed. “But then, this other guy comes in. He’s ginger, and frowning like the other guy. They both get vanilla milkshakes.”

“And then?”

“This older guy comes in, and he started yelling at the one with black hair. Apparently he ran away from home, and was living in the city with the ginger kid for three days.”

“Seriously?” Poe gasped. “He was a teenager?”

“Apparently.” Finn shrugged. “Anyways, the kid was dragged away screaming, and the ginger just drank the rest of his milkshake.”

“Oh my God.” Poe shook his head, disbelieving. “That kid is cruel.” 

“I kind of made up this story in my head that they were in love, and that they’re both kind of heartless.” Finn shrugged. “It gets boring here. Sometimes daydreaming is the only thing to do.” 

Poe was about to respond when Rey walked up to them with two mugs of coffee. She’d already added Finn’s usual: A little bit of milk and a little bit of sugar. She brought along two cups of milk and sugar for Poe. 

“Hey.” She smiled, showing off her perfect teeth. “I’m Rey.” 

The glance she gave Finn easily conveyed that he still need to get his damn number.

“We’ll be closing up soon.” She was cheery, but Finn knew that was a warning. As she walked away, Poe cleared his throat.

“Maybe you’d like to get coffee sometime? I mean, we’re having coffee right now, but. Another time.” He laughed softly and ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry. I’m usually smoother than this. It’s just been a long day.”

Finn laughed with him. “More coffee would be great, Poe.”

Poe’s smile widened. “Great.” He opened his phone to have Finn put in his number, but Finn saw a pen laying on the table. He remembered to thank Rey later as he grabbed a napkin and wrote down his number. When he handed it to the man, he folded it carefully. 

“You’ve really turned my night around.” He said, and all Finn could think was that he could get used to seeing those laughter lines around his eyes. They both stood up, and Finn walked Poe to the short distance to the door. 

“I’ll see you soon?” Finn meant for it to be a statement, but it turned into a question. 

“Yes. Definitely.” Poe stated, and Finn believed him. The second the door closed, Rey was by his side.

“Are you in love?” She asked eagerly.

“No,” Finn shook his head. “of course not. We just met. You should get your own love life to obsess over.” 

That earned him another shove. “But you’re going to go on a date with him, right?”

“I hope so,” He replied. “Now, you promised me Thai food, remember?” 

They both hurried to close up the diner. After the lights were turned off and the door was double locked, they pulled their jackets closer to their bodies. The wind bit at Finn’s face, and he wished he remembered gloves. New York’s weather wasn’t kind.  
He was surprised by a man with blonde hair and a panicked expression. 

“You’re closed?” He asked. “How long have you been closed?”

“Are you looking for a man named Poe?” Rey asked him.

“Yeah, did you see him?”

Rey shook her head. “I wouldn’t bother, man. He wasn’t happy with the fact that you didn’t bother to show.”

“Fuck, fuck…” He muttered. “I just got caught up in this art museum, and completely forgot what time it was.”

Finn couldn’t help but laugh, which he tried to unsuccessfully cover with a cough. “You’re never gonna finish that novel.”

Then the two were rushing down the street, leaving the man standing in front of the closed diner.

“I can’t believe you said that.” Rey gasped. “You’re usually so polite.”

“Well,” Finn shrugged. “It’s been a strange night.”

“Less boring than usual, though. Hey, isn’t Sea Thai in the opposite direction?”

“Siam Thai is closer,” Finn said. “and cheaper.”

“Sounds good. Maybe we should just get a cab?”

Finn laughed. “Will your tip pay for that, too?”

Rey glared at him. “Shut up.”


End file.
